VOA标准英语2011--Americans and their Pampered Pets

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Americans and their Pampered² Pets

BOB DOUGHTY³: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English. I’m Bob Doughty.
Today, we play new music by Malaysian singer and songwriter Zee Avi.
We also answer a question about the U.S. Open tennis championships.
But first we have a report about a business that specializes in caring for animals.
(MUSIC)
Americans love their pets a lot --- especially their cats and dogs.
In fact, many Americans consider pets to be as much a part of their family as human family members. So says a two thousand nine report from the Associated Press and the petside.com website. Fifty percent of pet owners questioned said they considered their pets to be full members of the family. And forty three percent admitted to feeding the animals people food. After all, a dog is said to be man’s best friend. But what happens when a pet owner has to go away? Jim Tedder⁴ has more about a business that cares for pets.
JIM TEDDER: Sadaf Atashbarghi is with Olde Towne Pet Resort in Springfield, Virginia. This well-to-do hotel for animals has become popular among the Washington area’s pet owners.
Ms. Atashbarghi is herself a pet owner. She says her dog is very much a part of her family. And she says she too has been guilty of what some might call puppy⁵ love.
SADAF ATASHBARGHI: “I treat my dog as if she were my own kid. I take her to day camp. I buy her clothes. I get her nails done.”
JIM TEDDER: The American Pet Products Association says pet ownership in the United States has reached an all time high. Nearly seventy three million homes have at least one pet. That includes about eighty six million cats and more than seventy eight million dogs.
America’s pet industry has grown a lot since the Olde Towne Pet Resort first opened ten years ago. Ms. Atashbarghi says she has seen a big change in the way people treat their pets.
SADAF ATASHBARGHI: “Several years ago a dog was just that, it was a dog. It was kept outside in its little dog house out in the backyard. And would come inside every so often and you would walk it and the kids would go out and play with it. I don’t think dogs are considered just dogs anymore. I think they’re considered part of the family or an extension of the family. And because of that I think the industry will continue to grow at a rapid pace.”
JIM TEDDER: Spending levels for pets are expected to reach an all-time high this year. The American Pet Products Association estimates that Americans will spend more than fifty billion dollars. Most of the money, nearly thirty four billion dollars, will be for pet food and medical care. A large amount will also be spent on things like boarding and grooming⁶ services.
These are services that Olde Towne Pet Resort offers. Its “Doggie Day Camp” has become very popular among pet owners who refuse to leave their pets home alone. Dogs and cats can come for a day or stay for the night. And there are many different activities and services to choose from.
Ms. Atashbarghi says the center seeks to provide pets with the same kind of care they receive at home. This can include unusual requests.
SADAF ATASHBARGHI: “Some dogs like to be tucked⁷ in at night, before they go to sleep. Some dogs like to be read to. We have had some owners who have brought in, you when they were gone for Thanksgiving, they’ve brought in turkeys and said I want my dog to enjoy Thanksgiving, please cook this and feed this to him.” (:15)
JIM TEDDER: The pet hotel has five hundred suites⁹, or rooms, for dogs and cats. Prices are based on the size of the room and the number of services chosen.
A plan called the Classic choice includes a room that is nearly two square meters big. It also includes three walks a day. The Five Star option includes four daily walks and two play dates. The suite⁸ is a little more than four square meters, and comes with or without a window. There is also a webcam so that owners can see their pets while they are separated.
Naturally, no visit to the Olde Towne Pet Resort would be complete without a wash and a haircut. Pets can even have their nails done.
Ms. Atashbarghi says Olde Towne has serviced more than twenty thousand pets since it first opened. Her business has been so successful that it is planning to open a second pet resort in Sterling¹⁰, Virginia. There is already a waiting list for the new location.
(MUSIC)
BOB DOUGHTY: Our question this week comes from China. Diyan loves the sport of tennis and wants to know more about the United States Open.
The U.S. Open is the fourth and final event of the four major tennis competitions. The other three are the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon in Britain. A player who wins all four events in one season is said to have captured the Grand Slam.
The U.S. Open is held every year over a two week period in late August and early September. This year, play began on Monday.
There are five main events: the men’s and women’s singles, the men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. There are also events for young tennis players and players in wheelchairs.
The U.S. Open takes place on the hard courts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing¹¹ Meadows¹² Corona¹³ Park. That is in the Queens area of New York City. In two thousand six, the United States Tennis Association named the tennis center in honor of tennis champion and activist¹⁴ Billie Jean King.
The largest stadium was named after another tennis champion, Arthur Ashe. He won the first ever U.S. Open in nineteen sixty-eight. Before that year, the United States had five separate tennis championships. Arthur Ashe was also the first African-American to win the men’s singles competition at a Grand Slam event.
This year, tennis players in the main events will compete for over twenty two million dollars in prize money.
As play began, the top women are Danish national Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva and Maria Sharapova both of Russia.
The top men are Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer of Switzerland.
(MUSIC)
BOB DOUGHTY: Zee Avi is a twenty-five year old singer and songwriter from Malaysia. Her music career took off unexpectedly several years ago thanks to a video she published on the Internet. Now, she lives in New York City.
Zee Avi recently released her second album, “ghostbird.” The soft sound of her voice and ukulele playing give her songs a dreamy effect. Shirley Griffith has more.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Four years ago, Zee Avi was living in Kuala Lumpur. A former art student, she decided¹⁵ to publish a video of her first musical performance. She continued to publish videos of her songs and soon they became very popular on YouTube.
One video caught the attention of other performers and music industry experts. Soon, Zee Avi was offered a record deal in the United States. Her first album “Zee Avi” came out in two thousand nine. Here is the song “Swell Window” from her second album “ghostbird.”
(MUSIC)
Zee Avi says she wrote half of the songs on her new album last summer in the kitchen of her home in Brooklyn. The other half she wrote while visiting the Everglades in southern Florida. Here is the song “Siboh Kitak Nangis” or “Don’t You Cry,” which she sings in her native language.
(MUSIC)
Zee Avi plays two instruments, the guitar and the ukulele. She says she is glad to see that the ukulele is gaining popularity¹⁶. For example, musician Eddie Vedder recently released an album where he sings and plays the ukulele.
Ms. Avi says the ukulele is her favorite instrument because of her small hands and size. We leave you with “Concrete Wall.”
(MUSIC)
BOB DOUGHTY: I’m Bob Doughty. Our program was written by June Simms and Dana Demange, who was also our producer.
If you have a question about American life, send it to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English.
Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 pampered   

adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lazy scum deserve worse. What if they ain't fed up and pampered? 他们吃不饱，他们的要求满足不了，这又有什么关系？ 来自飘（部分）
• She petted and pampered him and would let no one discipline him but she, herself. 她爱他，娇养他，而且除了她自己以外，她不允许任何人管教他。 来自辞典例句

3 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

4 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

5 puppy   

n.小狗，幼犬

参考例句：

• You must school your puppy to obey you.你要训练你的小狗服从你。
• Their lively puppy frisks all over the house.他们的小狗在屋里到处欢快地蹦跳。

6 grooming   

n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发

参考例句：

• You should always pay attention to personal grooming. 你应随时注意个人仪容。
• We watched two apes grooming each other. 我们看两只猩猩在互相理毛。

7 tucked   

塞进( tuck的过去式和过去分词 )； 翻折； 盖住； 卷起

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears. 她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。

8 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

9 suites   

n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓

参考例句：

• First he called upon all the Foreign Ministers in their hotel suites. 他首先到所有外交部长住的旅馆套间去拜访。 来自辞典例句
• All four doors to the two reserved suites were open. 预定的两个套房的四扇门都敞开着。 来自辞典例句

10 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

11 flushing   

脸红

参考例句：

• The police succeeded in flushing the criminal from their secret meeting place. 警察成功地把这名罪犯从秘密据点赶出来。
• He turned away embarrassed, his face flushing red. 他难为情地扭过头去，羞红了脸。

12 meadows   

草地，牧场， （河边的）低洼地( meadow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The trail wends its way through leafy woodland and sunny meadows. 这条小径穿过葱郁的林区和洒满阳光的草地。
• They have railed the meadows off from the new railway cutting. 他们已用栏杆把草地和新铁道的路堑隔离开来。

13 corona   

n.日冕

参考例句：

• The corona gains and loses energy continuously.日冕总是不断地获得能量和损失能量。
• The corona is a brilliant,pearly white,filmy light,about as bright as the full moon.光环带是一种灿烂的珠白色朦胧光，几乎像满月一样明亮。

14 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

15 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

16 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。